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Computer Science Vocabulary
Computer Science Terms
56
Computer Science
12th Grade
09/08/2017

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Term
Prototype
Definition
A Preliminary sketch of an idea or model for something new. Its the original drawing from which something real might be build or created.`
Term
Binary Question
Definition
A question to which there are only two possible answers.
Term
Binary Message
Definition
A message that can only be one of two possible values.
Term
Bit
Definition
A contraction of "Binary Digit". A bit is the single unit of information in a computer, Typically represented as a 0 or 1. 
Term
Bit Rate
Definition
(sometimes written bitrate)the number of bits that are conveyed or processed per unit of time. e.g. 8 bits/ sec. 
Term
Protocol
Definition
A set of rules and standards governing the exchange or transmission of data  between devices.
Term
Bandwidth
Definition
Transmission capacity measure by bit rate.
Term
Latency
Definition
Time it takes for a bit to travel from its sender to its receiver.
Term
ASCII
Definition
American Standard Code for Information Interchange. ASCII is the universally recognized raw text format that any computer can understand.
Term
Code (v)
Definition
to write code, or to write instructions for a computer. 
Term
Request for Comments (RFC)
Definition
A formal document from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that is the result of committee drafting and subsequent review by interested parties. Some RFCs are informational in nature, documents are how standards and protocols are defined and published for all to see on the IETF website. 
Term
IP address
Definition
A number assigned to any item that is connected to the internet. 
Term
Packets
Definition
Small chunks of information that have been carefully formed into larger chunks of information.  
Term
Router
Definition
A computer,device which receives messages traveling across a network and redirects them towards their intended destinations based on the addressing information included with the message. 
Term
TCP
Definition

Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol. It manages all the sending and receiving of Data Packets, like a dependable mail service.

Most networks combine IP with  higher-level protocol called Transmission Control Protocol(TCP), which establishes a virtual connection between a destination and a source. 

Transmission Control Protocol- Provides reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of a stream of packets on the internet. TCP is tightly linked with IP and usually seen as TCP/IP in writing. 

Term
DNS
Definition
Domain Name Server, System: the Internet's system for converting alphabetic url names into numeric IP addresses
Term
HTTP
Definition
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the protocol used by the World Wide Web. It describes how messages are formatted and interchanged, and how web servers respond to commands. 
Term
Abstraction
Definition
Reducing information and detail to focus on essential characteristics.  
Term
Server
Definition
A computer that awaits and responds to requests for data.
Term
Client
Definition
A computer that requests data stored on a server. 
Term
Net Neurality
Definition
Th principle that all Internet traffic should be treated equally by Internet Service Providers.  
Term
Internet Censorship
Definition
Internet Censorship is the control or suppression of what can be accessed, published, or viewed on the Internet enacted by regulators, or on their own initiative. Other areas of censorship include copyright, defamation, harassment, and obscene material. Support for and opposition to Internet Censorship also varies.  
Term
Network Surveillance
Definition
Computer and network surveillance is the monitoring of computer activity and data stored on a hard drive, or data being transferred over computer networks such as the internet. The monitoring is often carried out covertly and may be completed by governments, corporations, criminal organizations, or individuals.    
Term
Heuristic
Definition
A problem solving approach (algorithm) to find a satisfactory solution where finding an optimal or exact solution is impractical or impossible.  
Term
Image
Definition
A type of data used for graphics or pictures.
Term
Metadata
Definition

Data that describes other data. 

For Example, a digital image may include metadata that describe the size of the image, number of colors, or resolution.

Term
Pixel
Definition
Short for "picture element" it is the fundamental unit if a digital image, typically a tiny square or dot which contains a single point of color of a larger image.
Term

 

Hexadecimal Numbering System

 

 

 

Definition
A Base 16 numbering system. A number system consisting of 16 distinct symbols — 0-9 and A-F — which can occur in each place value.
Term

Lossless Compression

Definition
A compression scheme in which every bit of the original data can be recovered from the compressed file.
Term
Lossy Compression
Definition
A compression scheme in which “useless” or less-than-totally-necessary information is thrown out in order to reduce the size of the data. The eliminated data is unrecoverable.
Term

Abstraction

Definition
Removing unnecessary details to focus on the essential characteristics. To break problems up into separate parts which can then be solved separately and recombined to form a complete solution. To focus on and use something based only on what it does and without concern for how that functionality is accomplished.
Term

Hypothesis

Definition
A proposed explanation for some phenomenon used as the basis for further investigation.
Term
Readme
Definition
A document providing background information about a data set.
Term

CSV

Definition
Abbreviation of "comma-separated values," this is a widely-used format for storing data
Term
Raw data
Definition
The original data as it was collected.
Term

Summary table

Definition
A table of aggregate information about a data set (e.g., the average, sum, count of some values).
Term

Summary Table

Definition
A table that summarizes information about some larger data set. It typically consists of performing computations like sums, averages, and counts on higher level groupings of information. The intent is to summarize lots of data into a form that is more useful, and easier to "see".
Pivot Table: The tool used by most spreadsheet programs to create a summary table.
Term

Aggregation

Definition
A computation in which rows from a data set are grouped together and used to compute a single value of more significant meaning or measurement. Common aggregations include: Average, Count, Sum, Max, Median, etc.
Term

Algorithm

 

Low level programming language

Definition
A precise sequence of instructions for processes that can be executed by a computer and are implemented using programming languages. (NOTE: this is the definition from the AP CS Principles framework).



It deals with the computer’s hardware. A programming language that captures only the most primitive operations available to a machine. Anything that a computer can do can be represented with combinations of low level commands.
Examples: Machine Language, Assembly Language,
Term

High level programming language

Definition
A programming language with many commands and features designed to make common tasks easier to program. Any high level functionality is encapsulated as combinations of low level commands.
Ex. C, C++, Fort ran, Pascal, Swift, BASIC, Visual Basic,
Term

Iterate

Definition
To repeat in order to achieve, or get closer to, a desired goal.
Term

Selection

Definition
A generic term for a type of programming statement (usually an if-statement) that uses a Boolean condition to determine, or select, whether or not to run a certain block of statements.
Term

Sequencing

Definition
Putting commands in correct order so computers can read the commands.
Term

Turtle Programming

Definition
a classic method for learning programming with commands to control movement and drawing of an on-screen robot called a "turtle". The turtle hearkens back to early implementations in which children programmed a physical robot whose dome-like shape was reminiscent of a turtle.
Term

Abstraction

Definition
Pulling out specific differences to make one solution work for multiple problems.
Term

Function

Definition
A piece of code that you can easily call over and over again.
F(x) function (x)
Ex. The ellipse function and its parameters:
ellipse (200, 300, 350, 275)
Term

Parameter

Definition
An extra piece of information that you pass to the function to customize it for a specific need.
Term

Top Down Design

Definition
a problem-solving approach (also known as step wise design) in which you break down a system to gain insight into the sub-systems that make it up.
Term

API

Definition
Application Program Interface. A collection of commands, protocols, tools,  made available to a programmer to develop software.
Term

Documentation

Definition
a description of the behavior of a command, function, library, API, etc.
Term

Hexadecimal

Definition
A base-16 number system that uses sixteen distinct symbols 0-9 and A-F to represent numbers from 0 to 15.
Term

Library

Definition
a collection of commands / functions, typically with a shared purpose
Term
Loop
Definition
a programming construct that repeats a group of commands.
Term

Iteration

Definition
"loop" by another name - the repetition of a statement, process, or procedure.
Term

For Loop

Definition
A particular kind of looping construct provided in many languages. Typically, a for loop defines a counting variable that is checked and incremented on each iteration in order to loop a specific number of times.
Term

Abstraction

Definition
Pulling out specific differences to make one solution work for multiple problems.
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